


snapshots

by sarcasm_and_sabres



Category: Baseball RPF
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-09
Updated: 2020-01-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:13:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22163869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarcasm_and_sabres/pseuds/sarcasm_and_sabres
Summary: Willson wants to make sure his boyfriend has an absolutely perfect birthday.
Relationships: Javier Báez/Willson Contreras, background Kris Bryant/Anthony Rizzo
Comments: 4
Kudos: 5
Collections: MLB Exchange 2019





	snapshots

**Author's Note:**

  * For [symsonic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/symsonic/gifts).



Sometimes, Willy muses as he slips out of bed, he wishes he had a different boyfriend. It’s nearly impossible to surprise Javy with anything, especially when they both know it’s nearing his birthday. Willson’s had to start getting up to go work out with the horses so that Javy doesn’t get suspicious of him getting out of bed so early.

But the early mornings will be worth it when Willson can wake Javy with a home cooked breakfast, and besides it is nice to get a ride in at sunrise. Plus Javy being an early riser on his own means that Willy can plan even more to make it a perfect birthday for him.

He makes a quick detour to grab out Javy’s card and the flowers he’d picked the night before, setting those on the kitchen table for Javy to see right when he walks in. Then he dives into the fridge, with a quick glance at the clock. He should have just enough time to finish making breakfast before Javy’s up and about.

—

“Good morning,” Javy says, walking into the kitchen in just the pants he sleeps in. Willson takes just a moment to appreciate the view before pulling him in for a kiss.

“Happy birthday,” he murmurs. “Sleep well?”

Javy’s arm tightens around his waist. “You were there, so yes. Did you make breakfast?”

“Just finishing it,” Willy says, turning back to the stove. Javy leans against him, inhaling deeply.

“Platanos maduros?” he asks, and Willson can hear the smile in his voice. 

“Had to make your favorite.” He turns his head for a quick kiss. “If you want to sit, I’ll bring it when it’s done.”

“The flowers and card, too?” Javy asks, laughing. “You’re setting a high bar.”

“Only the best for the best,” Willson returns, expecting the light elbow he gets for his cheesiness. “Go, sit, let me finish this.”

“I love you,” Javy says when Willson slides a plate in front of him. Willy ruffles his hair and takes the seat next to him, waiting with bated breath for Javy to try it. 

Javy takes his first bite, closing his eyes as he chews. He holds his breath until Javy breaks out into a smile, grabbing his hand and squeezing.

“It’s so good,” Javy says. “You should cook for me every morning.”

“I’m not sure the nutritionists would like that,” Willy says, but when he digs into his own breakfast he’s more inclined to agree with his boyfriend. Nicer than the eggs and whole grain toast he has just about every single day of the season. “You want to ride after breakfast? I thought presents after dinner, after Kris and Rizz call.”

“This isn’t my present already?” Javy asks, and Willy shakes his head, smiling. He can’t wait to give Javy his actual present. “That sounds good to me.” 

“I can clean up while you get changed,” Willy says, because he’s already in his riding clothes, so Javy wouldn’t realize his ruse. 

“Perfect.” Javy passes over his now-empty plate, giving Willy a kiss on the cheek. “Be back down soon.”

Willy watches him head towards the stairs, warmth blooming in his chest. He’s so damn lucky.

—

It’s truly a beautiful day out for a ride, and Willy can’t help but think it’s fitting. Everything should be perfect for Javy’s birthday. When he says as much to his boyfriend, Javy just laughs and swings up into the saddle.

“I’ll have to get the Chicago weather to cooperate for your birthday, too, somehow,” he says, stroking his horse’s neck. “Might be hard to get the horses there, though.”

“Baseball makes up for it.” Willy pats his favorite mare’s shoulder before climbing on, shifting his legs to check the stirrup length. Satisfied, he looks over at Javy. “Good?”

“Race you.” 

Willy only gets a quick flash of Javy’s brilliant smile before he takes off, his horse’s strides eating up the distance quickly. Cursing, Willy urges his own horse on, giving her her head and speeding off after Javy.

He doesn’t manage to catch up before they reach the pond where they usually take a break, but he’s laughing as he dismounts. His mare’s breathing hard, and he takes her saddle off before looping the reins around the hitching post.

“I let you win,” he tells Javy, settling himself on the sun-warmed rocks next to the pond. “As a birthday present.”

“Of course.” Javy tugs him close with a hand in his shirt, kissing him and dropping his head onto Willson’s chest. Willy’s content to just lie there, rubbing at Javy’s hair and relaxing in the sunlight. 

—

“You going to make lunch, too?” Javy asks, crowding in close and hip checking Willy where he’s filling his water glass.

“What do I look like, a personal chef? I ordered food.” 

“Aw, okay.”

“Don’t sound so disappointed, I used up all my cooking ability at breakfast. Plus my plan for dinner.”

“What’s your plan for dinner?” Javy asks, but Willy shakes his head.

“A surprise,” is all he says, squeezing his shoulder and stepping over to the fridge to grab the lunches he’d ordered. “Besides, you don’t want to be thinking about my cooking while we’re working out.”

“And it covers you if it goes horribly wrong and you have to make something else?”

Willy pointedly looks away, busying himself with plates and utensils. Maybe his boyfriend knows him a little bit too well.

—

“I thought you might go easy on me today,” Willy pants, dropping to the grass after a series of sprints. “Ever heard of an easy workout?”

“You mean this isn’t one?” Javy asks innocently, lowering himself to sit next to Willson. “Here I was going to do another three sets...”

“You’re a sadist,” Willy accuses, gratefully taking the water bottle tossed his way. 

“I’m just trying to help you get faster on the basepaths! Don’t you want to become a threat to steal?”

“I don’t think any number of sprints is going to change that.” Willy downs half the water, then flops onto his back again. “Just leave me here, don’t let my death ruin your birthday…”

“I was promised dinner and presents,” Javy says, hopping to his feet way too easily for a man who has been doing as hard a workout as they have. He offers Willy a hand up, which he takes only begrudgingly, groaning as he gets back upright.

“Have someone else take pity on you, I’m too tired.” But he wipes the sweat from his brow and takes a deep breath, fortifying himself to not throw up before they’re done working out. “Once we’re retired, I’m not working out with you ever again.”

Javy laughs at him, shaking his head. “You’ve still got a few years before then, so let’s go.”

Willy grumbles under his breath and reminds himself that he loves both baseball and his boyfriend, and that it’ll all be worth it. Even if it sucks extreme amounts right now.

—

“You made a cake?” Javy asks, eyes going wide and bright before he pulls Willy off balance with a sudden hug. “I didn’t know you could bake.”

“I learned,” Willy says, laughing and using Javy’s shoulders to regain his balance and lean in to steal a kiss. “You going to blow out your candles?”

“In a minute, have some patience,” Javy scolds him, still taking in the cake.

“Why should I start now?” Willy asks, but he shifts so that he can step to the side and wrap an arm around Javy’s waist. Javy glances up at him with a smile, then blows out his candles.

“Aren’t you glad we did sprints today?” he asks, sitting and starting to cut two giant pieces of cake. And maybe he’s right, but Willy’s certainly not going to say as much and encourage him for the future. He has more common sense than that, at least.

“Oh, shit, it’s later than I thought,” Willy mutters when his phone starts to ring. “You want me to tell them to call back in a little bit?”

Javy shakes his head, pausing before his bite of cake. “It’s Kris and Rizz, I can eat while on the phone with them.”

Willy accepts the call, setting it to speakerphone so he can start in on his own slice of cake. It doesn’t even taste terrible like he’d feared it would. 

“Happy birthday!” Kris and Anthony’s voices shout over the phone.

“I thought we should sing for you, too, but I was told that it would be rude to subject you to that on your birthday,” Kris adds. 

“Consider it an extra birthday present from me,” Anthony says. Javy laughs around his mouthful, wiping his mouth before answering.

“I appreciate it,” he says, setting his fork down and taking Willy’s hand instead. “Thanks, guys.”

“Your guy treating you right today?” Anthony asks.

“He’s the one who tried to kill me this afternoon!” Willy can’t resist chiming in, squeezing Javy’s hand as he says it. 

“A guy can’t even get away with a little murder on his own birthday? What’s this world coming to?” Anthony asks, Kris laughing in the background.

“He cooked and made a cake for me,” Javy tells them.

“So he’s going to do that for the rest of us this season, right?” Kris asks. “Can’t keep those skills all to yourself, there, Contreras.”

“Get your own boyfriend to cook for you,” Willy shoots back.

“I do!” Rizz protests, and there’s a muffled grunt at what sounds like an elbow to the ribs. “I can’t believe you don’t love me, Kristopher.”

“I think I’m the one who’s not loved here. You talk a big game about being Italian and your family’s cooking, but where’s my homecooked meals?”

“I’ll cook for you,” Anthony says, and it sounds more like a threat to Willy, “I’ll cook for you so much that the nutritionist murders you the first day of spring training, just you wait.”

“Maybe we should let them go,” Willy says to Javy under his breath, because it seems like this has gotten far enough off the rails that it’s not going to come back anytime soon. 

“No, wait!” Kris says quickly. “We’ll go, but first, your present. We figured you didn’t need more things, so our present for you this year is a joint one for the both of you.”

“Some day during spring training, or during an off day over the season,” Anthony says, “we got you two a spa package for the day. Give you two a chance to relax with the works.”

“That sounds great!” Javy says, squeezing his hand. “Thank you guys.”

“Thank you,” Willy adds. A relaxing day with his boyfriend at a spa sounds like a great way to break up the grind of the season, but not anything he would have come up with on his own. They really do have the best teammates.

“We’ll let you go, but happy birthday again,” Kris says, and when they’ve finished up their goodbyes and hung up, Javy drops his head onto Willy’s shoulder.

“This was a really nice birthday,” he says, getting another bite onto his fork. “Thank you, Willy.”

“You haven’t opened my present yet.” Willy ruffles Javy’s hair and extricates himself quickly, going to the living room where he’d tucked his gift. Javy watches him come back, eyes bright with curiosity, and Willy tries to squash the nerves in his stomach at handing it over.

Javy runs a hand over it before unwrapping the gift, looking down at the blue and gold cover for several nerve-wracking seconds before opening it. He inhales softly when he takes in the words and photos on the first page, looking up at Willy with eyes that border on teary-bright.

“Is this…” he asks, and Willy nods, throat suddenly tight. Javy runs a finger over one of the pictures, a goofy selfie where Willy’s kissing Javy’s cheek while Javy grins broadly at the camera. Just one of the many snapshots of the life they’ve been building together. 

“I love you,” Willy says, reaching over to tangle their fingers together where Javy’s hand is resting on the scrapbook. There’s a lot more he wants to say, but, he figures, he’s spent the whole day saying it to Javy. And whenever they need to hear it again, they can just look at the scrapbook, a record of so many moments, big and small, that they’ve had together. With room for so many more.


End file.
